OK Clamp, here is how I back this up:

NWA 2008: 179.34/hour X 75 hours = $13,450
DAL 2008: 191.13/hour X 70 hours = $13,379

Just in the rate of pay difference alone, NWA guys started out with a cut. Add to that the other differences in minimum pay guarantee, minimum day, much higher insurance premiums and the pay was a real shock to some of us.

NWA 2009: 182.03/hour X 75 hours = $13,652
DAL 2009: 200.69/hour X 70 hours = $14,048

For most of us, this $400 pay increase per month offset the higher insurance premiums and went a long way toward offsetting the worse work rules. In 2009, we're getting pretty close to where we were at NWA.

NWA 2010: 184.76/hour X 75 hours = $13,857
DAL 2010: 208.72/hour X 70 hours = $14,610

This is about $800 per month more and will probably mean that 2010 will have me exceeding my 2008 W2 by just a whisker. I say that because in 2008 I had 5 over 80 hour months with time and a half pay. In 2010, I've gotten one straight pay extra trip this year.

This is just my example, and I'm sure others have similar ones. Senior guys probably did better quicker because of luck with green slips. Middle of the roaders like me didn't get much. Junior guys in category are still behind 2008's W2.

Carl

Thanks, Carl. That is certainly a difference, primarily if you're at guarantee every month. Are you only able to get 70 hours (on reserve) each month?

The two months I was a lineholder this year I pulled in greater than 100 hours each month. I sit about 87-88% in category. It was the same last year on my two months not chained to scheduling.

I still budget us on 70 hours, of course. I would love to see guarantee changed to 75 next contract.

Carl has done well this Summer. So have I. The focus should be on the next contract...not the last one.

This is a really old argument and the fDAL guys still don't get it. There was no huge pay raise. Don't even go there, my 2009 w-2 was 1 grand less than 2008 working the same hours per month but in 08 i worked 99 days and in 09 I worked 134 days. Do you guys understand that ???????????? $1340 per day under fNWA contract in 08 and $990 per day under the huge pay raise DAL contract in 09. Forget about it!!!!!!!! I got paper to prove this so don't go there. You're hourly rate might have been better, but you work rules and other contract cost suck compared to the fNWA contract. There you go. Call it like it is. Done with this. :rolleyes:

What a hottie...

Woah fellas. How did we get going down this road again? For the record:

-- I will never be able to tell slowplay and sailingfun apart. One of those guys has to change their name.

-- I too am on track to make less under the this the new PWA. Why?

It's hard to put a finger on. But, I think:

1.) Having to sit reserve some months out of the year really hurts. 70's hours is low. Paying for hotels suck. Less per diem adds up. Not knowing how many lines the company is going to give out month over month is pretty bad, too. I sat reserve one month because I had vacation during the wrong week even though I was almost 60% up the list.

2.) While my pay rate has increased, it seems to be way harder to get trips to fill my schedule out. I'm sure I suck at monthly bidding, but several months, when I did hold a line, I only got 67 hours or so. Apparently, these were the slow, pre-summer months, when open time was scarce and the trips that were out there didn't match my schedule.

3.) While I admit that there are ways to make up for previously lost flying, it's not always guaranteed. Green slips, yellow slips, white slips, and rolling thunder sounds good, but I have found that unless you are very senior in your position and/or live in base, it is not something you can count on. I have tried that rolling thunder thing and can tell you that my thunder doesn't roll. I've called scheduling and asked if they thought it would roll. Flown into DTW to sit all day to wait for it to roll. Then flown back home when it didn't roll. Personally, I think my thunder has square wheels.


Don't get me wrong. There are many good and even great parts of the contract. But, from where I sit, I think if you talk to a fNWA guys who says he isn't making as much money, it might be because of where he sits in his/her category list, if he lives in base, or if his category is short on pilots.

From talking to folks around campus, I think so far this year, 330 A & B's, 7er B's, 320 A & B's, DC-9 B's, and some 744 B's can make a killing. They must be short in those category's. Green slips, white slips, rolling thunder or whatever they want, if they want, all day long. Even more so, if they live in base. But, for those of us that commute to work, who are around the 60-70% mark of our category, it's kind of tough to figure out. Or, at least it is for me. Some months I might have to sit reserve because I have vacation. Some months there will be slim pickings for open time. Hopefully, some months I will have a great schedule.

I'm sure I will figure it out, though. But, don't be so surprised when you hear fNWA say we aren't doing quite as well as you think we are. It's true. But, I always open to suggestions on how to improve my paycheck and quality of life. Fire away and thanks in advance. :D


New K Now

New K you are right on here. What we are talking about is ALV. If you look at ALV and forget about the privy few that can get a GS, You are making the same or less. I really don't care about this except when it is thrown out that we got this huge pay raise. Most of us got a small pay cut and a decline in QOL. I think the overall result of the merger is positive, but don't be the one to tell me how much better my life is now that I'm a DAL pilot. I certainly hope that it gets better.:D

newK-

A hint for the master: Vacation months you can make huge money...especially if you stack two weeks against each other. Max yourself out outside the vacation with pickups and greenslips and breaking 100 to 110 hours is no sweat.

It will get better. No matter how much we debate the merits of each others pre-merger contracts, the point should be made that those contracts and even this supposedly better contract with higher rates should be viewed as just a bridge.

In 2001, a DC-9 Captain for NWA and made $166 per hour.

In 2010, a DC-9 A for DAL makes $150 per hour.

Neither side should be bragging about what we had in 2007 or what we have today. Hell, there aren't even sides anymore. Let's just make this work until it's time to really get paid. :D

I attempted this lately but rolled like News wheels, however, I have heard guys making good $$$ that way. I guess I need a different strategy (again)...